The discovery followed another firearm recovery at a high school the previous week and a fatal teen shooting at the Arts District’s First Friday event earlier this month.

Sheree Corniel, founder of the Las Vegas-based Real Talk Youth Impact Program, said young people may be drawn toward guns for different reasons, including bullying, social media conflicts, gang involvement or a desire for status. She also raised concern that some guns may be taken from homes where they are not securely stored.

“It's probably a stolen weapon. And if it's taken from the home, maybe the parents don't have it locked up,” Corniel said.

Her nonprofit offers free services to young people ages 8 to 18, including activities and support intended to help them avoid trouble and build positive connections. Corniel said the program also works with parents.

She urged caregivers to know where their children are and what they are doing, and to secure firearms in the home. She also emphasized the need to address the pressures and conflicts that can precede violence. Social media, she said, can expose teens to substantial negativity, though the role it plays in specific incidents was not established.

Clark County School District uses several campus security measures, including a single point of entry at secondary schools and badges for students. The district also conducts random weapons-detection checks using artificial intelligence at some school arrivals, random classroom wand searches and K-9 searches for drugs and weapons, according to Kirsten Searer, the district’s chief community engagement officer. The AI systems are not used at every campus every day.

Searer said staff relationships with students are another important part of school safety, allowing employees to notice changes in behavior and check in with students.

Corniel said Real Talk’s free program offers youth education, activities and opportunities for sponsorship. Families can find information at realtalkyip.org.